


Truth or Dare

by XskyelineX



Series: Acceptance Universe [2]
Category: Total Drama (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Post canon, Romance, Truth or Dare, college fic, gay angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24858466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XskyelineX/pseuds/XskyelineX
Summary: “Ok miss C-I-T, truth or dare?”
Relationships: Courtney/Gwen (Total Drama)
Series: Acceptance Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798471
Comments: 1
Kudos: 59





	Truth or Dare

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! 
> 
> First off, I'd like to dedicate this work to the lovely @dramaposting on tumblr, who gave me the prompt for this fic when I hit 250 followers and has been a wonderful supporter of my writing.
> 
> Secondly! This one is part of the Acceptance Universe, so if you're into college fics, Aleheather and a bit of Chaos, I'd suggest you go give that a read, However this also works as a standalone fic and you don't have to read the other one for any context, etc.
> 
> And Lastly, I'd love it if you left a comment or let me know on tumblr or insta (@total-heather-island and @totalheatherisland respectively) Because I'm always curious to know what you guys think
> 
> Anyways on with the story!
> 
> Love Always,
> 
> Skye xo

“Ok miss C-I-T, truth or dare?”

Courtney studied Geoff’s face- laden with teeth baring grin and a mischievous look in his eyes, he pushed his blond hair to the side, his signature hat resting on his lap. She’d been roped into playing a game with her housemates- well those which had already arrived.

It was a warm night in late spring, and Courtney (and by extension, her best friend Gwen) had arrived just days earlier- wanting to settle in before they started college in the fall. It was surreal that they’d finally graduated high school and left their reality TV days behind- now, they were adults starting college and Chris Mclean had found a new lot of teenagers to torture.

She looked around the circle, they were sat on the plush carpeted floor of the expansive living room, the lights low and several bottles left empty and strewn around them. They’d been sitting there for several hours, talking and laughing when someone suggested they play truth or dare- a terrible idea, really. Courtney was intoxicated already- meaning she had no filter and her usual uptight demeanour had faded into a bubbly and relaxed state.

Prompting her again, Geoff pressed on- eager to continue the game. Not wanting to answer, Courtney let a dazed giggle escape her lips and hid her face. “I-I don’t know”

“Just pick dare Courts’, live a little” Gwen jabbed, causing her to breakdown into further hysteria

“She won’t pick dare, she’s too chicken” Alejandro teased, throwing back the rest of his drink.

“Shush” Glaring at him, Courtney smirked and turned back to Geoff. “I pick dare.”

A stunned pause followed, the group taken aback by her boldness- up until this point, she’d only picked truth, choosing to keep her dignity, rather than do the ridiculous (and rather cruel) dares the group had come up with. Courtney watched as Geoff whispered back and forth with Bridgette, who was seated next to him leaning on his shoulder.

“I dare you” He said, pausing for dramatic effect “To kiss one of the people beside you. Like you mean it”

“What?” Courtney laughed nervously. At least it wasn’t as bad as some of the other dares from previous rounds.

“You heard me”

To her left was Cody, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights, startled and terrified. He leant away sheepishly, clearly praying she wouldn’t choose him. Courtney agreed with him on the matter- he was probably the last person here she’d willingly kiss.

On her right was Gwen- her closest friend, her confidant and the one person she relied on for everything. It would be weird, wouldn't it? Courtney pondered over the decision, trying to clear her clouded mind and make a logical choice.

Looking between the two candidates- it was clear to her that she really only had one option,and she leant towards her friend, laughing quietly. Gwen moved towards her, cupping her cheek and looking into her eyes, drawing her closer.

Accidentally bumping heads with Gwen, Courtney pulled away, causing them both to break out into a fit of giggles, Gwen knocking over her drink in the process.

“Sorry” Gwen chuckled, picking up her drink (which had thankfully not leaked onto the carpet in the process). “Okay lets do this”

They leant in again, and Courtney could feel her heart pounding out of her chest. Placing her hand on her cheek, Courtney pulled her friend towards her, meeting her lips .Closing her eyes, Courtney let herself get lost in the moment, entangling her hands in Gwen’s soft hair.

Gwen’s lips tasted like strawberry chapstick and whiskey, mixed in with hints of the fruity guava flavoured premix they’d been sharing all night. Courtney was sure her heart was going to explode- but at the same time she felt safe. Like she was coming home at the end of a long day, eagerly welcomed, and embraced warmly with the other girl's soft kiss. 

Lasting a little too long for an ordinary friendly kiss, Courtney pulled away reluctantly, suddenly aware of their audience (half of whom were cheering them on, the other half again sitting there in a bewildered silence). Panting slightly, Courtney blinked a few times before shaking it off, eager to return to the game and shift the focus off herself and the blush she could feel creeping up her face.

Daring Tyler to race a person of his choice to finish his drink, she sighed slightly when the attention shifted off her, finding her hand covered by Gwen’s. Basking in the feel of her friend’s cold hand on hers, Courtney replaying the kiss in her mind over and over, her mind consumed with the lingering taste on her lips, the feeling of fulfillment, contentment and excitement filling her being and how every time she looked over at her she felt butterflies. The rational part of her brain tried to calm her but Courtney sank into the feeling and let it resonate.

~ ~ ~

A while (and several drinks) later, Courtney found herself laying in Gwen lap, the pale girl playing with her hair. They’d both picked dare several times since their kiss- and were forced to do an array of things; slide down the staircase in a laundry basket, eat several spoonfuls of cinnamon and (much to Courtney’s dismay) remove her bra. 

The game had rolled back to Gwen, and Alejandro was the one asking. He pondered for several minutes before finally deciding on a question, leaving everyone in anticipation.

“Gwen. Who, out of the entire cast do you find the most attractive?”

“Courtney, hands down.” Gwen answered with a wink. 

Maybe it was just the alcohol, but Courtney’s heart started beating faster. Blushing and looking away, Courtney laughed and mumbled a quiet thanks. The game continued in the same way, each question more intrusive and each dare even more stupid than the last.

Spacing out in between her turns, Courtney let her mind reel. Gwen thought that _she_ was the most attractive. What did that mean? Did that mean that Gwen liked girls? No, it couldn’t. She probably just meant objectively. Studying Gwen’s face, she recalled how the kiss made her feel- Courtney’s chest had exploded with butterflies, her stomach doing backflips just at the thought of it. Courtney shook her head and turned her attention back to the game, turning so while her head still rested against Gwen’s lap, she faced away from her friend.

~ ~ ~

Their little party ended in the early hours of the morning, and everyone seemed to have either passed out on the living room floor, or had retired back to their rooms. Courtney watched, walking down the hallway as Gwen proceeded to turn cartwheels on the marble floors.

“Don’t fall” She giggled as her friend slipped slightly

“Me? Fall? Never! I’m Invincible!” Gwen proclaimed, turning another before falling onto the cold floor. “Oops. Guess not”

“Gwen! Oh god, are you alright?” Courtney ran over, picking her friend up off the floor.

“I”m fine Courts, too drunk to feel it anyway”

“Right, and that’s a good thing?” 

“Definitely”

The pair continued down the hall, arms wrapped around each other's waists, Gwen leaning heavily on her shoulder. Reaching Gwen’s door, she watch as Gwen kicked off her slippers 

and jumped onto her bed, dancing around.

“Okay” Courtney laughed “Goodnight”

“Aren’t you gonna tuck me in?”

“You’re an adult you can tuck yourself in. I'm tired”

“Please?” Gwen asked, dragging out the word.

“Fine. How can I say no to that face” she smiled, shaking her head.

Gwen drunkenly clambered off her bed, climbing under the covers, settling back into the mound of pillows. Pulling the blanket up to her neck, Courtney tucked it tightly around Gwen, brushing a piece of her hair out of her face as she leaned over her.

“Better?” She smiled

“Much.” Gwen giggled, staring deeply into Courtney’s eyes. They held each other's gaze for several moments, a warm silence settling between them. Courtney lost herself in Gwen’s eyes as she reached up and caressed her cheek. Her heart started racing at the feeling of Gwen’s cold fingers brushing against her skin, watching her closely. Almost as if it was instinctive, Courtney leant down lightly, finding Gwen raising herself up to meet her lips. 

Courtney felt her heart burst, those goddamn butterflies throwing a party inside her once again as she wrapped her arms around Gwen, pulling her closer. Reveling in the sweet taste of the cheap blackberry wine they’d ended the night with and the warmth of her embrace, Courtney relaxed slightly before pulling back, resting her forehead on Gwen’s.

“Stay?” Gwen muttered quietly, almost inaudible “Please?”

“Okay”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Waking up in Gwen’s room wasn’t an unfamiliar situation for Courtney, but this time it was different. 

Her stomach was queasy and her head pounded, partly from lack of sleep and partly from the abundance of alcohol they’d consumed the previous night. And all she could think of was Gwen’s lips on hers, and the way she’d held her close until they fell asleep. 

Unease filled her chest as she gathered her things quietly, being sure not to wake Gwen. Once she’d picked up her things, she paused at the door to look back at Gwen. She was curled around a pillow, her pale face pressed against it. She’d kicked the blankets off and was lightly snoring, unaware of the world.

Courtney studied her for a moment, watching as she peacefully slept, hair messed up and remnants of last night’s lipstick still staining her face. As she walked towards her own room Courtney’s mind ran rampant with thoughts of the previous night, unsure of what to do next.

She’d never given much thought to her relationship with Gwen, it was one of the few things that Courtney didn’t have the tendency to overthink. After they’d left the show (the final season ending with Gwen nearly drowning and Courtney being blown away in the wind) they’d reconnected, realising after returning home that most of their friends had moved on, their reality show journey leaving them behind most of their peers.

Pondering it now, Gwen was the one person who calmed her, but at the same time made her heart flourish in her presence, filling it with a tremendous feeling she’d really rather not admit to. Gwen was her best friend, her confidant and the only person Courtney felt she could open up to.

But she couldn’t love Gwen as more than a friend, Could she? By far, Gwen was the best friend she’d ever had- she balanced her out and at the same time lifted her up. Besides, Courtney didn’t like girls, did she?

Her thoughts began to spiral, clueless as to how she felt and what she wanted, overcomplicating things in her mind- it was all too much. 

Reaching her room, she quickly grabbed clothes from her draw before slipping into the bathroom. Sliding her back down the shower wall, Courtney curled her knees to her chest, watching the steam rise as the hot water rushed over her.

Breathing slowly, she tried to calm herself, _it’ll be alright._ She reminded herself, it was just a few drunken kisses. And maybe some repressed feelings on Courtney’s end- and most likely unreciprocated on Gwen’s part. She didn’t have to tell Gwen about that part, she could just keep on like they were and everything would be okay.

“Everything will be okay” She muttered under her breath, quietly repeating the mantra over and over. “It’ll be fine.”

~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Once Courtney managed to pick herself up off the shower floor and ready herself for the day, she found herself walking through the expansive gardens of the manor, stopping every now and then to admire various plants. The ambience of the garden soothing her mind.

She’d perched herself on one of the small brick walls surrounding the lake, the edge of which was deep in the grounds, serving as a boundary for the property, when she heard someone sit down beside her. Her eyes lost in the lush greenery, Courtney didn’t pay much attention, her thoughts still wandering.

“I love this part of the garden, It’s a good place to just sit back and enjoy nature”

“Hey Bridge” she muttered in response, twisting a leaf in her hand, running her thumb over it.

“You okay? You seem a little down”

“I guess, I mean- don’t worry it’s stupid” 

“I’m sure it’s not, what is it?” The blonde pressed, concern in her voice.

“Last night, when Gwen and I kissed on that stupid dare- it felt real, like I felt complete or something. And then we went back to her room and I tucked her in and we kissed again and I ended up staying the night and now I’m all confused because I’m not even sure if I like women but there’s something about her that just makes me feel so whole, and like I’m unstoppable. And then I don’t even know if she feels the same way or if-”

“Court, Court!” Bridgette cut in “Slow down, you’re rambling. So you stayed the night and then what” She said, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh nothing, like that, we just kissed and then fell asleep together. And then this morning I left.”

“You just left?”

“Yeah, as you can tell I’m kinda freaking out”

“You should talk to her, what can go wrong?”  
  


_Yeah, what could go wrong…_

_~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~_

Courtney was avoiding her. Gwen was sure of that.

She’d woken the next morning to find the other side of the bed cold and empty- stretching out only to find the soft fabric of her duvet, Courtney seeming to have vanished into thin air.

The night of the party, they’d drunkenly shared a few kisses- the first on a dare, the others not so much, and it hadn’t gone any further than that, but Courtney had fallen asleep next to her, wrapped in her arms. Waking to find she was alone came as a shock, as Courtney was usually a late riser after a night of drinking.

At first, Gwen didn’t think much of it, assuming Courtney had just left to shower and change, and followed suit, collecting her outfit from the previous night from the floor and throwing it into her hamper.

But almost two weeks later she hadn’t seen nor heard from Courtney; and it had been the worst two weeks of her life. 

Classes hadn’t started yet and everyone else had seemed to pair off into their little groups- with Courtney nowhere to be found, leaving Gwen alone. She’d tried calling and texting- she’d even stopped by her room a few times, but Courtney had seemed to vanish into thin air.

This, of course left Gwen to stew in her feelings, worrying constantly about her friend and how she had definitely screwed things up. She’d been drunk- and that first kiss had let the feelings Gwen so desperately tried to hide free, and maybe she had taken it too far by kissing her again; it certainly seemed that way with how Courtney had dropped off the face of the earth.

Gwen had taken to sitting on the roof of the house, that way no one could find her unless she wanted to be found- and it gave her time to think. She perched on the edge of the roof, her legs hanging down the side, kicking against the smooth brick. Leaning back and studying the sky, she watched as the clouds slowly drifted by, sighing to herself.

  
  


~ ~ ~ ~

_“I only came back on the show to make things right with you!” Gwen exclaimed, throwing another punch at Courtney, winded from Courtney’s return hits. “Ouch”_

_“I never really missed Duncan, but I really missed you!” Courtney admitted, before falling to her knees beside Gwen._

_“So” Gwen paused, panting quietly. “friends?” she asked._

_“Totes. Friends forever” Courtney answered, flinging her arms around Gwen._

_Returning the hug, Gwen smiled- she’d achieved the one thing she’d come here to do, make amends with Courtney; and this time all their dirty laundry had been aired and there was nothing at all between them._

  * \- - -



_They’d spent the night in the hot tub after watching Sierra get flushed- a situation neither of them wanted to find themselves in. It’d been one of the best nights Gwen could remember, they’d stayed under the stars until the early hours of the morning; only leaving when the hotel staff kicked them out for cleaning._

_Gwen had finally found herself relaxing- a rarity she treasured, as there weren’t many moments where she had the opportunity during the competition. Enjoying the warmth and the soothing sounds of the hot summer night, Gwen studied Courtney as she talked about life back home, watching as her hair shone in the moonlight and her eyes sparkled when she smiled._

_“What do you think you’ll do after this season?” Courtney asked, looking up at the sky_

_“I’m not sure, try to graduate high school in one piece and then go to college I guess”_

_“Even if you win?”_

_Courtney’s eyes met hers, and she thought about it for a moment. She hadn’t really thought about how she’d spend the money- least of all if she’d still pursue her education._

_“Yeah I think I would. What about you?” Gwen queried._

_“I don’t know- I’ve spent my whole life dreaming of becoming a lawyer, but after all that’s happened I don’t know if i could do it.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_“Like, what if they pull up a video of me eating some disgusting thing that Chef has cooked up over the years- or a video of me crying over a boy who can’t even use soap- or worse; a video of me fighting my best friend over said boy? I’d lose all credibility.”_

_“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Gwen said, moving over to sit next to Courtney, putting an arm around her shoulder. “And besides, once I win the million you won’t have to work you can just come be my pretty little housemaid or something”_

_“Me? A Housemaid? And you’re so sure you’ll win?”_

_“Sure am- I’ll even buy you one of those cute maid outfits” She chuckled, winking at Courtney_

_“As if!” Courtney exclaimed, splashing Gwen playfully “You and I know both know I’m winning this”_

_“Okay, okay. Stop!” She laughed “_ If _you win, I promise I’ll be the one in the maid outfit”_

_“I can just imagine you in it, you’d look cute.” Courtney laughed, slipping over in the process._

_Catching Courtney in her arms, they both giggled, Courtney mumbling something about Gwen being her saviour, staring deeply into her eyes. They stayed like that for a minute, eyes locked in a warm stare, and Courtney’s arm around her neck and Gwen held her, almost as if they were about to kiss- until the moment was broken by the cleaning staff clearing their throat._

_“Um- I should probably go to bed, gotta be ready to kick ass tomorrow and all” Gwen said, placing Courtney back on her feet._

_“Yeah, I’ll, um see you in the morning. Goodnight”_

_~ ~ ~ ~ ~_

Gwen sighed, resting her arms behind her head, reminiscing on their first almost-kiss, remembering how her mind had run rampant with temptation, thoughts of Courtney filling her mind. It’s almost distracted her from the competition- had Courtney not been there she’d have been completely off with the pixies.

They’d come so close to winning the challenge that day- quite literally losing by a nose. But in the end, neither of them had gone home and Gwen counted that as a victory, no matter how small. 

The rest of the competition had gone relatively smoothly- barring Courtney’s short lived romance with Scott and the horrendous list incident- which resulted in her unfortunate elimination. Gwen had been determined to win after that- mostly because a million dollars would change her life, but partly because she’d love to see the look on her face if she had presented Courtney with the outfit.

Her daydream was broken by the sound of the rooftop door opening, not bothering to check who it was she closed her eyes again.

“You good?” 

“Yeah, I guess. Just thinking about some things.”

“Courtney?”

“How’d you know?

Trent laughed, taking a seat on the ledge beside Gwen. “Educated guess.”

Gwen raised an eyebrow, skeptical of his answer. “ Really?”

“You two are usually glued at the hip, and lately you’ve both gone awol.”

“I guess so, I think she’s avoiding me”

“Did something happen?” He asked, concerned in his voice.

“After the other night, we sort of… continued our dare back in my room. I woke up the next morning and she was gone. Haven’t seen her since.”

“Maybe you should go find her and talk it out”

“It’s not that simple” Gwen sighed “ How did i get myself into this mess?”

“It is that simple Gwen, you’re just avoiding the problem” Trent said, rolling his eyes. 

“She’s avoiding my texts and calls, and I haven’t seen her in days, how would I even find her?” 

“I saw her go into the garden earlier, she’s probably still there.” 

A sense of dread filled Gen, nervous for the outcome of any confrontation that they could have. It was tearing her apart to not see Courtney at all, but she knew rejection would sting even more- and things probably wouldn’t ever be the same between them ever again. “Why can’t I just pretend it never happened and hope it’ll go away” she groaned, throwing her hand dramatically over her face.

Trent shook his head, laughing at her antics. Standing up, he gestured for her to do the same. “Come on, it’s now or never. You need to tell her how you feel”

“I never told you how I feel Trent.” She said, taking his hand and pulling herself up.

“I know you, and I can see it in your eyes, it’s pretty obvious”

“It is not!” she exclaimed, pushing his shoulder lightly. “And besides, how do I know this won’t cause a catastrophic blow up?”

“You don’t, but it’s something you need to do”

“Why do you have to be so all knowing?”

Trent laughed, grabbing her shoulders and steering Gwen towards the door. “I have no clue, but I can’t watch you mope around like this anymore. It’s painful”

“I am not moping! And what? Am I taking up your secret make-out spot?” 

“Yes, actually you are”

“You’re acting like you even have anyone to make out with up here” Gwen quipped

“Ouch that was cold, and I’ll have you know I have plenty of potential make-out partners” Trent feigned offence, chuckling slightly.

“Okay, okay, I get it you’re a catch” 

“And so are you, so please go talk to Courtney and fix this.” He stopped putting his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sure you’ll be able to sort this out”

“Sure…” Gwen resolved, she knew she couldn’t avoid this forever- and the entire mess had started over stupid game of truth or dare. They still had to live in the same house, go to the same college and they even worked in the same mall- whether it ended in pieces, friend or otherwise, Trent was right- this was something that would happen eventually. “I guess there’s no point in putting off the inevitable”

“Exactly!” he agreed, clearly pleased he had finally got through to her. “Now get your ass down to the gardens and talk to her before you change your mind and wimp out”

“Alright, Alright. But if this ends in tears- you’re buying me ice cream”

“Deal. Now go get em tiger.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Courtney was overthinking again, her mind spiraling as she watched a family of ducks heading towards the lake. She’d had no idea how to handle her current situation, and honestly? She missed her best friend. Lost in thought, she jumped when she heard Gwen call her name, her heart suddenly beating a hundred miles a minute, her hands shaking completely wracked with nerves.

“Courtney!” Gwen yelled, the pain obvious in her voice, grabbing her arm as Courtney tried to turn away. “Can we just talk? I know you’ve been avoiding me”

It had been almost two weeks since they’d last spoken- and guilt consumed Courtney completely. She’d wanted to talk to Gwen- but she didn’t know how to explain her feelings- she could barely comprehend them herself. However she knew one thing for sure- She’d fucked up their friendship- and she didn’t know if she would be able to go back to how things were.

“Gwen, I-”

“Please, just listen” She pleaded, meeting Courtney’s eyes. “I can’t lose you.”

Courtney felt another strong pang of guilt hit her, the heartbreak in Gwen’s eyes obvious. And she was lying to herself if she pretended she didn’t feel it too- she had been tearing herself apart by avoiding Gwen- even if she took away the romantic feelings she was no longer repressing, she wanted her friend back.

“I don’t want to lose you either” Courtney replied, placing her hand on the one Gwen’s, lifting it from her arm and holding it tight. “ I just-”

“Look, Court- the night of the party was intense, we were both really drunk and weren’t in our right state of mind” Gwen started, cutting her off. “And I didn’t even know if you swung this way before kissing you again, and I feel really bad because I’ve obviously pushed you away or freaked you out or something or you might just not feel the same way but I can’t lose my best friend and I don’t want us to continue like this because-”

“Gwen! stop.” Courtney’s voice softened, looking down “You said ‘I may not feel the same way’. What do you mean “the same way?”

“I, Uh. I don’t really know how to explain it” Gwen said trailing off, her eyes looking anywhere but Courtney’s. “ I guess I just don’t only think of you as a friend anymore”

“Gwen, you’re-”

“No don’t say anything, look it’s probably better if we just forget this ever happened and go back to” Gwen started to ramble again, only to be cut off by Courtney grabbing her with both hands and kissing her.

Gwen, clearly shocked, tensed up before relaxing into the kiss, Courtney pulling her closer as she did so. Feeling her heart burst, butterflies rampaging through her entire body, Courtney wrapped her arms around Gwen, letting her heart take over. Adrenaline shot through her, but also feelings of comfort and warmth, the longing she’d had to kiss Gwen again being replaced with a feeling of fulfilment and content.Finally pulling away for air, she rested her forehead on Gwen’s, still holding her tightly. Both of them were panting, Gwen still with her eyes closed, muttering something about hoping that it wasn’t a dream.

“It isn’t a dream” Courtney laughed quietly “I’m here, this is real.”

“Thank god.” Gwen placed her hand on Courtney’s cheek “It’s almost too good to be true.”

Courtney covered Gwen’s hand with her own, leaning back slightly to look into her eyes. “I think I’m in love with you”

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear you say that.”

“How long?”

“Since that night, back on Wawanakwa, in the hot tub.”

“The one where we talked about the maid outfit?” Courtney laughed, recalling the conversation. 

“I’d still love to see you in one of those.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah.” Gwen chuckled. “Oh and Court?”

“What?”

“I love you too.”


End file.
